Hatch for railway cars



Nov. 23, 1937.

w. c. STONE HATCH'FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Dec. 9, 1936 4 Sheets-Shet 1 3nnentor ZRQQQW (Ittomeg Nov. 23, 1937. w. c. STONE HATCH FOR RAILWAY, CARS Filed Dec. 9, 1936 4 sheets-sheet 2.

(9.. A I JVH Q .7 0m. on Mm v i 1 l Snventor Wm Ci. 811M.

(RQWM Nov. 23, 1937.

w. c. STONE HATCH FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed DeC. 9, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

3nventor (Ittorneg W No. M J, G

Nov. 23, 1937. w. c. STONE 2,100,119

HATCH FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Dec. 9, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 wwm C Xizg 6?. (Ittorneg lmnentor Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

This application is a continuation in part of my pending application Serial No. 460,696 filed June 12, 1930 for patent for Hatches for railway cars.

; ofseveral when the'ice baskets are emptycars and more particularly 'to the hatches over the ice-baskets of such cars. for icing the ice baskets. These hatches are usually closed by ahatch plug which is insulated and arranged to fit tightly withinthe hatch frame so as to retard the entrance of heatinto {the ice basket and the escape of: cold-from the ice basket.v The hatch is thencoverediwith a-lid-to protect the plug,

which lid is usually hinged to some part of the car. Means are. provided to hold the lid in one partially open positions for ventilation the weather and salt water.

Another objector the invention is to provide meansof weatherprooflng the juncture of the roof of the car with the hatch frame.

Another object is to hinge the lid directly to the hatch frame and to support the plug directly ,fromthe lid so as to assure a proper fit between the plug and the frame and between the lid and the frame. 7 Anther object" of theinvention is to pivotally suspend the plug from the lid so as to permit a restricted movement of the plug parallel to the lid so that when closing the hatch the plug will adjust itselfto the hatch frame independently of the lid.

v Another object of the invention is to support the, hatch frame directly by metal carlines. form-1 *ing'part of the roof framing of the car so that the *3 In the impacts of thecubes'of iceagainst the hatch frame are transmitted directlyto the carlines. independently of the roofingor insulation of the car. 1

drawings;

" P Fig. 1 is a plan view of1ny improved hatch v the door is shown in open position.

opening closure means.

Fig. 21s a section-on line [-4 of Fig. 1 excep Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. '4 is a perspective vlew showing the means of attachment of the handle to the lid and plug reepectively.

The invention relates to railway refrigerator The frame is preferably of cast metal to also resistcorrosion due to exposure to then driven between the roof sheet-flanges 20 14 Claims. (01. 103-5) Fig. 5 is a detail of the reinforcing plate on the lid.

Fig. 6 isa detail showing the relation between the handle and the latch for engaging the adjusting bar. 7 5 Fig. 7 shows the handle mounted upon the lid. In the drawings the spaced apart metal carlines 2 extend between the opposite side plates of the car and are secured thereto, each of which carlines is preferably provided with an upper flange 3 for support of the purlins 4 to which the roofing boards 5 are secured. The hatch frame, shown as an integral metallic casting, comprises four preferably downwardly and inwardly inclined walls 8 which are extended (9) in substantially vertical position and secured to the carlines 2 by rivets or other means I0. A continuous outwardly projecting flange I2 is provided adjacent to the upper part of these walls having a continuous depending reflange l3 at the outer margin of the flange. This construction provides great strength at the upper margin of the hatch frame in either a'vertical or horizontal direction.

In order to weatherproof the juncture of the metallic roofing with the hatch frame and provide an insulation for that part of the hatch frame above the car roof 5 I provide preferably wooden corner pieces 6 fitting into the angles between the walls of the frame and the roof boards, which are preferably attached through the roof boards to the purlins by the nails 20. A

metallic roofing I9 is provided with inclined flanges l1 engaging the exterior inclined surfaces M of the corner pieces. The wedge 23 is and reflanges l3 of the hatch frame and held in place by the nail 25. arrangement makesa waterproof construction and may alsobe readily disassembled for removal of the hatch frame or roofing sheets. The construction preferably,

extends around all four sidesfof the hatch frame; The hinge' lugs 30 for; the lid are preferably.

formed integral with the reflange I I 3 of the" frame or an extension (3| )v thereof, which lid 32 is provided with 9. depending flange, .33 fitting the I downwardly projecting reflange it of the hatch frame. This lid is preferably of a metallic sheet designed to resist corrosion. p a 4 1 The handle 36 is preferably made of two bars, each pivotally hinged (31) to the lid at their inner end and formed attheir outer end to provide a groove 38 with registering perforations II in the walls ll of the groove and-a latch II at one side of the groove. The adjusting bar I is gages the latch, one of the apertures registers with the perforations 40 in the handle 35 to accommodate a pin which is preferably passed therethrough to retain the bar 45 in engagement with the latch 43. This pin is preferably chained (50) to the adjusting bar to prevent it from being lost. Preferably the same pin is used to lock the lid in closed position by passing it through the aperture in the adjusting bar and perforations 40in the handle. 1

The adjusting bar 45 is preferably hinged to the hatch frame by means of hinge lugs which are preferably cast integral with the hatch frame and positioned on the opposite side of the frame from the hinge lugs 30 for the lid 32.

The margin of the plug 52 adjacent the hinge 30' for the lid 32 is suspended from the lid by a hinge 54 which provides a pivotal connection between the plug 52 and the lid 32 and also permits a restricted movement of the plug parallel to the lid so that the plug will adjust itself to the hatch frame independently of the lid. This parallel movement is restricted so that when the lid and plug are in open position the plug will be out of contact (56) with the hatch frame. In the form illustrated this restricted movement of the plug relative to the lid is provided by having either the hinge butt 58 or hinge strap 59 provided with a horizontally elongated hole for the hinge pin.

The margin of the plug opposite the hinge connection 30 of the plug to the lid is suspended from the handle 36 independently of the lid 32 by a link 65 so as to permit restricted substantially vertical movement of the plug to and from the lid. In the form illustrated the link passes through an opening 66' in the lid, which, for practical purposes, is reinforced by the plate 61. The link 65 is provided with an aperture 69 adjacent its upper and through which the handle passes and the handle is of less vertical height than the aperture at the place of engagement therewith so as to provide a limited substantially vertical movement between the handle and the link,

whereby when the plug 52 is wedged into the hatch frame, the raising of the handle raises the plug independently of the lid; furthermore, the handle may be used as a hammer to give the link at "III a series of sharp vertical raps to loosen the plug from the hatch frame. Conversely upon closing the lid the plug may be forcibly moved into a tight engagement with the hatch frame by the handle even though the lid is completely closed; furthermore, the handle may be used as a hammer to give the link a series of sharp raps at II, which forces are transmitted to the plug independently of the lid.

The link 65 is pivotally connected to the plug adjacent its lower end so as to permit a restricted movement of the plug parallel to the lid 32 so as to permit the plug to adJust itself in the hatch frame. In the form illustrated the eyelet 14 is secured to the plug by the bolts 15 and is' provided with an upstanding web 16 provided with an aperture 11 which registers with the elongated apertures I9 in the link, all of which is shown'in Fig. 4, the pin, however, being omitted to clarify the drawings. The web 76 engages the lid 32 and raises the lid after the plug has been raised a predetermined amount.

, wardly projecting flange adjacent the upper part The plug 52 is suspended from the lid so as to move upwardly or downwardly therewith and the pivotal connections heretofore described as permitting restricted movement of. the plug par- I allel with the lid are as heretofore described for 5 the purpose of permitting the plug to adjust itself into the hatch frame independently of the lid. However, there is another object of this restricted motion and that is to keep the plug out of engagement with the hatch frame when the'lid and the plug are in open position. This feature not only retards wear on the plug but also retains it in a spaced relation 56 from any part of the car so that it will be quickly dried bythe circulating air.

The hereinbefore described construction has 15 several advantages. The wedgebetween the roof sheet flange and the depending marginal flange of the hatch frame prevents relative movement between said flanges and also provides a watertight joint therebetween. This wooden wedge also cooperates with the wooden roof sheet flange supporting frame to insulate the portion of the hatch frame above the plane of the roof. The metal hatch frame may be attached to and removed from the roof without disturbing the roof sheet. The connection between the hatch frame bed and the plug suspended therefrom permits the plug to automatically center itself in the tapered seat provided therefor in the hatch frame independently of said lid; and it also. permits said lid to adjust itself to the hatch frame independently of said hatch plug and thus provide a tight fit between said lid and said frame. The hatch frame forms a rigid cross connection between the spaced carline members, thereby forming a combined carline and hatch frame assembly that is adapted for application as a complete preassembled unit to the car.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modiflcations thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a railway car, the combination of a hatch frame comprising a continuous wall surrounding an opening, said wall having a continuous out- 50 of the wall and a continuous depending reflange at the outer margin of theflange, a roof provided with an aperture through which the hatch frame extends, corner pieces fitting in the angles between said walls and roof having inclined exterior surfaces, roofing sheets having inclined flanges, and wedges driven between said roofing sheet flanges and the reflanges of the hatch frame which are secured to the corner pieces.

2. In a railway car, the combination of a pair of spaced apart carlines and. a hatch frame fltting in the space between said carlines, said frame consisting of four integral walls, two of said walls being secured to and supported by said carlines, corner\pieces supported by the carlines adjacent the walls of the hatch, and a metallic sheet roofing provided .with upstanding flanges engaging the exterior of the corner pieces.

- 3. A railway car having a roof and spaced carlines below the roof in combination with a hatch frame having substantially vertical portions secured to said carlines and outwardly flared portions above the plane of said roof forming a hatch plug seat, and means to insulate the portion of the hatch frame above the plane of the roof. 75

4. A railway car having a roof and spaced carlines below the roof in combination with a hatch frame having substantially vertical portions secured to said carlines and outwardly flared portions above the plane of said roof forming a hatch plug seat, and a wooden member fitting into the angle'between the hatch frame and roof providing means to insulate the portion of the hatch frame above the plane of the roof.

5. A car roof having a hatch opening therein, a hatch frame positioned within said opening and having a portion extending above said roof and provided with a downwardly and outwardly extending flange, said roof including a metal roof sheet having an upwardly extending flange I disposed opposite and substantially parallel with the downwardly extending flangeof said hatch frame, and means between said flanges for making a watertight closure between said flanges.

6. A frame for a car roof having hatchways therein, said frame comprising spaced metal frame members and a metal hatch frame extending between and rigidly secured to said metal frame members and forming a rigid cross connection therebetween.

7. A carline assembly. for a car roof having a hatch frame therein, said carline assembly comprising spaced metal carline members and a metal hatch frame having a portion disposed between and rigidly secured to the opposing faces of said metal carline members and forming a rigid cross connection therebetween.

8. A carline assembly for a car roof having a hatch frame therein, said carline assembly comprising spaced metal carline members and a metal hatch frame having a portion disposed between and rigidly secured to the opposing faces of said metal carline members and forming a rigid cross connection therebetween, said metal hatch frame having a portion extending above said metal carline members and provided with a depending marginal flange.

9. A carline assembly for a car roof having a hatch frame therein, said carline assembly comprising spaced metal carline members and a metal hatch frame having a portion disposed between and rigidly secured to the opposing faces of said metal carline members and forming a rigid cross connection therebetween, saidmetal hatch frame having a portion extending above said metal carline members and provided with upwardly and outwardly inclined walls forming a tapered seat for a plug. v

10. A carline assembly for a car roof having a hatch frame therein, said carline assembly comprising spaced metal carline members and a metal hatch frame having a'pcrtion disposed between and rigidly secured to the opposing faces of said metal carline members and forming a rigid cross connection therebetween, said metal hatch frame having a portion extending above said metal carline members and provided with a depending marginal flange.

11. A carline assembly for a car roof having a hatch frame therein, said carline assembly comprising spaced metal carline members and a metal hatch frame having a portion disposed between and rigidly secured to the opposing faces of said metal carline members and forming a rigid cross connection therebetween, said metal hatch frame having a portion extending above said metal carline members and provided with a depending marginal flange, said portion having downwardly and inwardly inclined walls forming a tapered plug seat.

12. .A sheet metal car roof having a hatch opening, a hatch frame in said opening and a border around said hatch frame with its upper outer surface inclined upwardly and inwardly above the general levelof the roof, the portion of the roof adjacent to said hatch frame extending above the general level of the roof and resting on top of the inclined portion of said border.

13. A railway car having a sheet metal roof with a hatch opening therein, a hatch frame in said opening and a border of insulating material surrounding said hatch frame and extending above the general level of the roof, the portion of the roof adjacent to said hatch opening extending over and above said border.

14. A railway car having a sheet metal roof with a hatch opening therein, a hatch frame in said opening having a seat for a hatch plug, a

border of insulating material surrounding the seat portion of said hatch frame and extending above the general level of the roof, the portion of the roof adjacent to said hatch opening extending over and above said border.

WALTER C. STONE. 

